Love and Redemption Part 2

Love and Redemption Part 2

Revan spun his short lightsaber in his left hand, the green blade reflecting a salvo of blaster bolts back towards a group of Star Forge droids standing next to the Sith Grenadiers. The blasts hit the droids head on. Some of the droids exploded into many fragments, which in turn either shredded the Grenadiers standing too close or set off the grenades on another causing even more carnage. Revan then spun the long lightsaber in his right hand behind his back, forcing a Dark Jedi Apprentice to step back from the swinging blade into a blaster bolt from Canderous' heavy repeating blaster. The Apprentice hit the deck hard next to HK-47. The assassin/protocol droid, holding it's blaster rifle in it's right hand, whipped out a blaster pistol with it's left and fired two rounds point blank into the dead Apprentice's back.

"That Sith give you a bad look, HK?" Revan asked, sardonically, as he slashed the arm off a red-armored heavy Sith trooper. "She was already dead."

"Answer: Negative, master," HK responded, knocking a slow Sith Apprentice off the platform with a blaster shot. "I was merely following the rules of combat."

"Rule number 18: always make sure they're dead," Canderous explained while tossing a thermal detonator into a doorway, blowing more Star Forge droids into shrapnel.

"Approving statement: Exactly. Master, I rather like this meatbag."

"Revan, tell the tin-head if he wants to stay on my good side, he won't call me 'meatbag' ever again."

The three companions cleared the rest of platform before continuing on. They finally came upon the door leading to the Star Forge control room. It was, unfortunately, guarded by three Dark Jedi Knights. The knights drew their lightsabers with cries for blood and started charging toward the heroes. Before Revan and the others could react, three figures in gray uniforms leapt from the rafters and landed behind the Sith with swings of their red sabers, the Dark Jedi collapsing within minutes! Revan was surprised, but his surprise deepened after seeing who the gray figures were.

"Yuthura!" Revan exclaimed, seeing the redeemed female twi'lek from the Sith accademy. "Dustil! Mekel! What are you doing here?"

"Helping you, of course," Mekel stated. "I still owe you my life for what you did in the tomb on Korriban."

"We all owe you something, Revan," Yuthura added. "You convinced us and many others that our decisions were wrong and led us back to the light."

"The others are here too," Dustil said quickly. "Dak, Kel, and the others from the cave. They're helping my father and the rest of your crew defend the Ebon Hawk."

"There are more Sith," said Mekel. "We and your two friends can keep them from following you on."

Revan looked at each former Sith and did not reply immediatedly. His eyes were beaming with pride. He could sense each of them at peace with the Force.

Finally he nodded: "This is for the best. I must make the final steps of this long path alone. But knowing I have allies like you will strengthen me."

Everybody, even HK, beamed at Revan and took up positions by the door as he stepped through to face his destiny. As the doors hissed shut, he thought he heard one of them say, "May the Force be with you, our friend..."

Revan exited the opposite door and entered the Star Forge control room. In the center was a large holo-grid displaying the space battle surrounding the Star Forge, the Rakatan station taking up the majority of the room by itself. However Revan's eyes were drawn to the lone silhouette kneeling in the center of the room in front of the holo-grid.

"Revan, I knew you'd come." Bastila stood and turned, facing him, her yellow eyes gleaming cruelly. Her saberstaff was held in her right hand.

"Bastila," Revan swallowed. He knew that here was his only chance to bring his love back to the light. "Please, reject the dark path. Can't you see that it will only end in death?"

"That is the way of the Sith, Revan," Bastila replied, her stance unwavering. "Only the strongest survive. You followed that path long ago."

"And I turned away from it; you can do the same, too. Please, Bastila, I have no wish to fight you," Revan said earnestly. "I will not fight you."

"Then you will die!" Bastila cried, extending both the blades of her saberstaff.

Revan activated his own lightsabers, their green glow ever so bright, reflecting that of the hologram in the room's center. Bastila leapt into the air bringing her staff spinning down. Revan side-stepped and brought his blades to the defense position. Bastila stabbed and swung with her blades, probing Revan for an opening. Revan gave ground again and again as he blocked the blows, he was caught by surprise of the ferocity of Bastila's technique and he did not wish to harm her. Bastila brought one of her blades dangerously close to Revan's face which he barely dodged, the blade singed the skin over his left eye leaving a crescent shaped wound and blinding him on that side. Revan cried in pain and leapt back onto the holo-grid, distorting the images from it. He looked at Bastila, a fiersome visage with one eye scarred and glazed over and the other normal. He knew that if he did not fight her seriously now, she would not turn back. Revan stood, raised his lightsabers and connected the ends of the hilts to each other with a click. He now held a saberstaff as well, but while one side was short the other was long. Bastila's brow furrowed with confusion.

"It makes no difference what you do," she sneered with her full lips curled. "I am strengthened here on the Star Forge. You have no chance against me, now."

"You're wrong, Bastila," Revan replied. "I can sense the good in you, the conflict."

"There is no conflict," Bastila spat. "Shut up!"

"You couldn't bring yourself to leave me to die when Malak betrayed me; I don't think you will kill me now..."

"If you will not face your destiny, you will be destroyed!" Bastila cried, charging again.

Revan immediately moved into a counter strike, holding his staff's long blade under Bastila's chin following a successful parry. Bastila's surprise faded quickly as she knocked aside the blade and stepped back into the defense. Revan moved forward, twirling his staff as he marched, Bastila barely keeping up with him. At last Bastila gained some distance and charged once more. As their blades clashed, neither moved but their upper bodies as they clashed saberstaff against neo-saberstaff. The lightning from the contact of the red and green blades danced in the air to the sound of the clashing swords.

Finally, Revan chopped Bastila's blade in half, leaving one blade in each hand and forcing her to leap back again, panting.

"You grow weary, Revan," she bluffed. "Soon you will fall, as will the Jedi and the Republic soon after."

"I will not fight you, Bastila," Revan glared at the yellow eyes he had known so well for he recognized the path he had once taken. "I will not raise my blade in my defense. I leave myself open for your attack."

Bastila seemed taken aback as he spread his arms to his side and dropped his neo-saberstaff to the ground. She hesitated, confused as to his actions.

"What is this? You gamble your life willingly, thinking I won't attack you? This is a dangerous game, Revan..."

"I know you won't attack me, Bastila.” Revan gazed at her calmly: “I know because I love you, and that love will bring you back."

Bastila’s twinkling eyes stared at him for a long time, long enough to make Revan start to wonder perhaps he was wrong: "Some would think you foolish for such a decision, Revan. But...you are a correct fool."

Bastila's gaze fell to the floor. When she lifted her face again, her eyes had changed back to that calming grey Revan loved: "I cannot bring myself to strike you down..."

Bastila dropped her severed blades and began to break down, her body began shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. Revan came forward and embraced her.

“It's okay... I'm here now…” He cooed.

“Revan…I…I…” Struggling with words, Bastila attempted to apologize. But Revan gently put his fingers on her lips to stop her from continuing.

"You will have to face Malak," after a while Bastila said, still resting her head on Revan's armored and robed chest.

"I know," Revan replied. "I'd ask you to come, but--"

"It will only endanger me. Go, my love, I can use my battle meditation to empower the Republic fleet from here."

Revan looked down into Bastila's eyes. "'My love?' You no longer fear love?"

"I could never fear anything knowing you love me as much as I love you, Revan," Bastila grinned.

Revan lowered his face and kissed her gently and tenderly. Bastila returned the kiss the same way, each others Force auras swirling together like water from two streams. They finally broke their passionate moment, and without a word, just a look of love and a nod, they turned to their tasks. Bastila returned to her kneeling position and restarted her Battle Meditation to aid the Republic. Revan called his lightsabers back to his hand as he headed to the doorway leading him to his next objective. He had some unfinished business with a certain Sith Lord...